Aroldis Chapman’s payday is falling…
December 1, 2009, 6:45 pm by iYankees · 19 Comments
Ever since Aroldis Chapman defected from Cuba, leaving behind his family, including a young daughter named Ashanti Brianna, his talent, that hard-throwing wherewithal, has been the central focus of the Chapman sweepstakes. However, after Chapman abruptly left Edwin Mejia and the API for more veteran pastures with the Hendricks brothers, concerns regarding the lefty’s maturity and makeup are beginning to overtake the Chapman conversation. In fact, according to the latest from Melissa Segura of Sports Illustrated, Peter Bjarkman, a Cuban baseball historian, referred to Chapman as “uncoachable,” while other Cuban ballplayers have characterized him as “temperamental and crazy.”
In addition to maturity and makeup concerns, scouts are even beginning to wonder about Chapman’s inherent talent — the 102 mph fastball — which was once the crux of his fervently hyped mythology. These doubts, of course, are particularly problematic for the Cuban-born pitcher; more so than the maturity and makeup issues, as these traits could certainly develop over time, with age. Fastball velocity is another story, though.
According to a source interviewed by Segura, Chapman’s fastball failed to “exceed 92 mph during a private workout last month,” which is probably why the young left-hander is now under lock and key, training in an undisclosed location. If Chapman doesn’t have the blazing fastball we heard so much about in Cuba, then he’s essentially a lost cause, for as one “high-ranking NL team official” featured in Segura’s article noted, his “secondary pitchers are just not that good.”
The diminished and alarming velocity — high heat is thought to be Chapman’s calling card — could be explained by Chapman’s lack of baseball activity since finishing his season with Holguin in the Cuban National Series. This level of inactivity, while a reassuring explanation with regards to one problem — a lack of velocity — is also under scrutiny from baseball executives who wonder why Chapman isn’t being showcased more often. “If he’s that good,” wonders one executive to Segura, “why aren’t you showing him off? Why not throw him in the Dominican Winter League and let him tear up the competition and drive up his price?” To baseball officials being told they must offer a considerable contract to Chapman, an international free agent, in order to obtain his services, the lack of private and public pitching displays, combined with general concerns regarding character and performance, could set off alarms and hurt Chapman’s market.
Segura touches on that point, as well, stating that “SI.com sources place at least one big-market club’s offer [for Chapman] at $12 million over three years.” With maturity, makeup and talent critiques becoming a more prevalent part of the Chapman sweepstakes, it seems as though the young pitcher’s star is beginning to fade precipitously. It will be interesting to see whether or not these concerns ultimately curtail Yankee interest in the prized Cuban. Then again, at $12M over three years — Kei Igawa money — the Yankees might just throw caution to the wind.
Photo via Busted Coverage
If it’s 3 years $12M, the Yankees should really take that gamble that he is just low on the velocity right now due to inactivity. Worst case, he turns into a LOOGY and at that salary he is about market price for a lefty reliever.
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I wouldn’t sign him unless he threw for the Yankees in a personal bullpen session to see him throw and face live batters at least strand in batters who aren’t swinging.
If he isn’t getting past 92 MPH than I say we turn our attention to Neol Arguelles, he has developed secondary pitches and could end up being a Cole Hamels type and I would take that for 8-10 million.
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But the 92 MPH could be due to inactivity and that isn’t going to improve until he starts pitching consistently again, and it’s likely his agent is encouraging him to avoid that as any injury would lower his payday even further.
I guess I would try to find out the location where he supposedly hit 102 MPH on the gun and maybe gets my hands on that radar gun to see if it is actually accurate or just reads high.
There are some scouts who did see him live in Cuba when he was in mid-season form saying his upside is top of the rotation starter and his downside is effective reliever. 3 years $12M for that (plus 3 more years of team control on top of that) is certainly worth that risk, at least in my mind. Especially for a team like the Yankees who rarely gets a chance to draft talent with that kind of potential, and wastes way more money on guys like Igawa/Pavano/Farnsworth/Wright.
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If he can’t go to the Yankees and throw a bullpen and hit higher than 92 MPH then don’t sign him!
How did scouts see him live in Cuba when it is illegal to go to Cuba if you are an American?
Exactly we have wasted money so let’s not waste anymore! If he can only hit 92 then I would sign Noel Arguelles who also hits 92 but actually has 3 pitches and 2 good ones!
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There are scouts that are Cuban citizens, or citizens of other countries whom allow travel to Cuba, that are employed by teams, or sometimes independent scouting agencies, that have seen him in person.
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Well it sounds as if he is training and throwing right now so if he can’t get back to 96+ by the time he has to sign a deal I don’t want him!
He has no other pitches and the only thing that makes him even the least bit wanted is his fastball! If that isn’t there who cares about him!
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He might just be training, as in cardio or strength training, but not throwing regularly for fear that if he were to hurt himself his payday might almost completely disappear.
He does throw 3 or 4 other pitches, its just that he has poor control over them. Those could be refined in the minors. Or if he ends up a reliever, he would really only need one pitch to pair with the fastball.
If this means the Yankees could get him on a minor league, rather than major league, contract. That makes it even more worth the gamble as it doesn’t take up a spot on the 40 man roster, or start his arbitration clock. So, they would develop him, then still get 6 years of control of him.
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If he is already afraid of injury to the point he isn’t actually throwing hard then I don’t want him on my team because his mindset isn’t that of an “ace” in the first place! If he is already worried about his arm he will never throw hard anyway and will just be what Joba was this year with no secondary pitches.
Actually he throws 3 pitches…. a Fastball, a Slider and curve which looks like the slider but is even worse! You can’t be sure he will ever develop those pitches you have to work with what you got and he has nothing without the fastball at 96+. I have never seen him throw anything else on film!
He was always going to have to start his career in the minors but it won’t be on a minor league contract because he will want guarantee’s of being called up!
Arguelles has a decent fastball with a change I would much rather go with that than a 92 MPH fastball and nothing more… I wouldn’t sign him unless he threw a bullpen session for me anyway and if his velocity wasn’t high I wouldn’t touch him for double digit millions.
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This is just one report of him topping out at 92 MPH. There are also reports of him hitting 101 MPH. Feel free to over-react to one leaked article. I hope Cashman doesn’t share your sentiment, and would guess he probably doesn’t.
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I agree in that the general consensus is Chapman can throw hard. The inactivity probably hurt him. Therefore, the velocity, while disconcerting, isn’t going to stop him from being signed. I think other issues, such as his lack of secondary stuff, command, and maturity will ultimately influence his deal in a negative way (not the velocity).
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You can’t read can you?
LET ME MAKE THIS REAL CLEAR SO YOU CAN READ TED SINCE IT’S NOT YOUR STRONG SUIT!
EVEN BEFORE THIS ARTICLE… BEFORE HE DEFECTED! WHEN WE FIRST KNEW WHO THE KID WAS I WOULD NOT SIGN HIM WITHOUT A PERSONAL BULLPEN SESSION WITH CHAPMAN AT LEAST THROWING TO LIVE STAND IN BATTERS EVEN IF THEY AREN’T SWINGING!!!!
IF HE CAN’T THROW HARDER THAN 92 MPH IN THE PERSONAL PITCHING SESSION THAT I WOULD SETUP OR IF HE REFUSED TO THROW A PERSONAL BULLPEN SESSION THEN I WOULDN’T SIGN HIM!
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in other words, he doesn’t want to play for the yankees, so there’s something wrong with him.
the world doesn’t revolve around the yankees.
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It’s not going to stop him from being signed but if it doesn’t concern you at all that the kid didn’t care enough to be in shape going into the biggest job interview of his life then nothing will!
If he hasn’t been working out this whole time and instead going to clubs and what not with all these photos and his fastball is down because of that it shows immaturity and how can you count on that.
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I think that’s why he fired his representation, though, right? He’s now on the right course, which, IMO, is a positive thing.
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I would have a hard time blaming him not working out on an agent… I mean really, all you have to do is go to a park and throw and you can get in shape and I’m sure there are more than enough facilities that would love to have the kid come in and work out just to say he was there throwing.
To me it sounds more like a 21 year old that wanted to party and drink and go to strip clubs and had his head filled with 50 million dollar dreams, if anything he changed agents in my mind because people were in his ear telling him hoe ridiculous those figures were and that he has a rookie agent managing his career.
At the end of the day though if he isn’t throwing hard because he didn’t go throw the ball it’s his fault! You don’t see pitchers come to spring training after not throwing at all before that, they have there own routines to get into shape and have their velocity and what not down when they get there. This is the biggest thing that ever happened in his life thus far besides maybe his daughters birth and he wasn’t there for that so it’s inexcusable for him not to be in shape enough to throw harder than 92 IMO.
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What if his agent’s told him to stop throwing, but just keep in shape with general cardio/strength training, and play this like a normal offseason for an mlb player?
Do you think any of the Yankees pitchers (other than those obviously assigned to fall/winter leagues) are throwing pitchers right now? Mo would probably clock in at about 82 MPH if he had to throw a pitch right now.
It’s completely possible they (his initial agent) wanted him to get onto a schedule akin to that of your average MLB player/prospect. Or that going through the process of defecting and getting a work visa took it’s toll on him mentally and he stopped focusing on working out.
Just because a 21 kid wasn’t on a Roger Clemens-esque workout doesn’t mean he will never work hard and is too lazy to ever put in the effort to become a quality pitcher. Read the reports on why the Yankees were able to draft Pettitte (hint: it involves him being completely out of shape and overweight), once he got to the minors he became a workout maven.
AND I UNDERSTAND SOME ON THIS SITE DON’T WANT THIS KID, SO THEY ASSUME THAT ANYONE WHO DOESN’T AGREE WITH THEM IS STUPID OR CAN’T READ. THAT OR THEY ARE JUST REALLY POOR AT MAKING ARGUMENTS THEY HAVE TO RESORT TO PERSONAL INSULTS AND USING BIG BAD SWEAR WORDS TO SHOW THEIR EXTREME LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE AND MATURITY. I LIKE CAPS LOCK, TOO!!!!111!!1!!1@
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I understand you concern, but you really have to consider that the season is, indeed, over for him and he’s not in regular pitching shape. Even if he works out regularly, it’s not like he’ll be at midseason level (which ted points out).
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